Starmer Steals Sunak's Lines And He'll Soon Pinch His Job

Rishi Sunak was like an irritatingly bouncy leader of the opposition, harassing a world-weary prime minister who had to explain that life was a bit more complicated than his opponent suggested.

- JOHN RENTOUL

Politics has a way of getting ahead of itself, and the BBC TV debate seemed to be taking place after 4 July, when all the problems raised by members of the studio audience were Keir Starmer’s problems – and it was Sunak who was able to float free and attack.

This meant that the debate was sharper than the muddy and confused affair at the start of the campaign. Starmer was readier to interrupt and say that what Sunak was saying was “false”, having been taken by surprise in the first debate and failed to respond for some time to the allegation that Labour would put up taxes by £2,000.

This time, Starmer said “false” twice during the debate and at the end, when Sunak warned about the £2,000 again, Starmer said: “That is a lie. He’s been told not to repeat that lie and he’s just done it.”